Outlet-box support and method of using the same



Feb. 10, 1931. J. BERNl-:T 1,791,743

OUTLET BOX sUPPRT AND METHOD oF USING THE sus' Filed June 4-, 1928 Jonl? af/fief E\ l. various surfaces,V as will Patented Feb; 10,1931* l UNITED STATES Joni: llian'Jaivlw'm, or" CHICAGO, ILLINoIsH',

OUTLET-Box-surronr AND inn'rnonorf usine' THE Y This' invention relates to improvements in outlet boxsupports, and more particularly to supports especlally desirable for mounting an'outlet'box or the like upon a brittle wall,

v such as wall-board, marble andthe like, and

v theinvention also relates to an 'improved method formounting boxes upon such walls, Y

althouh the means disclosed herein are Y adapta rle for mounting various articles yon be apparent to one rskilled in theart. Y "1 Y f v In the past, when outletboxes and the like have been mounted onsubstantially hard and n i 4brittle, Wallsyit hasbeen customary to pro- -115 vide anlaperture in the wall'in which to set Y the box and then drillsmaller apertures orv recesses in the wallto' accommodate the expansion bolts which pass through'the mounting bracket whichis .usually standard equip-Y` ment on outlet boxes for this purpose, They expansionbolts and other v-Ineans heretofore used 'for thispurpose havel in' most cases proven objectionable inY that they tend; to-

break the brttlevwall 'adjacent' the larger i 25 aperture inrwhich the box sets,'thereby ren-f deringra durable mounting lof the 'box im-y f possible-without the employment ofadditional labor and extraneousmeans. Further with these formerly known means, especially with expansion bolts,.experienced operators were" necessar to' properly secure the means without brea ng the margin 'of the wall, and evenv with such operators the margin was frequentf ly broken., l 'l f which is easily and readily, though none lthe lessfirmly, secured to a hard and brittlewall i lo` without thenecessityv ofv employing an `lex pert operator. y y 5 ,v The inventionI `also seeks toiprovide means for securing an,l outlet box to a brittle wal1,f

which' means 'eliminate substantiallyl all posof the wall.VY Y

g sibility vof vbreaking or crackingtheJ` margin '-A'- further object of the present inventionv is the provision'of`me'ans for mounting an' Voutlet box toa hard or brittlewall in asimplei j` andiea'sy manner without necessitating-the c Figure 3 is anfe'nlarg TheV present invention is designed` to over- .i comeVv the above noted Vdefects and objections Figure 6 is a fragnrient'aryv sectional view, l

it is to be distinctlynunderstood thatthough.

,employment of any additional tools ordine struments. y y f .A Vstill further object of the -present. in# vention-is -to provide means for'mounting an v outlet box toa wall, which means are providedv with vgauging elements whereby they may bev readily seated invproperfposition. Still a furth'erobject of the'present inven# ytion is to provdean limproved.me'thody-Of mounting van outletf box fto a hardorbrttle 6or wall.

While some of the more'fsalient features, characteristics and advantages-of devices emf bodying` thief-'present' invention :have been above pointed. out, others will lbecomeiap- 65 kthe preferred form" in they drawings, as more V7o Y vof -afwall showing an? outlet box mounted thereonVV by means embodying principles of ",751 the presentinventiongfy Figure 23 is an y enlargedtransverse 'sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line '114,11 of Fig; ,1;1'1v y d; fragmentary view f 8o. in elevation taken from the'left of Fig.,l 2;'

Figure 4 isafview similarv'to 3 takelrj' A from'the right'of'Fig'. 2;#

Flgureis avframentary transverse sec'-y tio'nalf.view,l ywithparts'A`o1initted, taken sub-' with theV outlet box omittedtaken 'substanl tiallyjalong` thev staggered line YVI+VI .fof Y Figffg'andy 1 j.' .j 90. Y Figure ..7 fis' Vain enlargedsectional .vievif` takensubstantially Valong-line VII--Vllof As (shown thefdrawings outset,

theV illustrated embodiment' ofthe present 'Y vinvention-is vshown as` securing anloutletbox g to a wall, the same `is-gequally vadaptable for securing otherandfvarious articlesljoany. m0' f 5 'l l auf 7 yof; the clip.

form of a side, etc.

Further it is surface such as walls, a ceiling,

Yto be understood that although the term outlet-box is used hereinV and in the appended claims, the sameis t0 be construed to mean an'outlet box, switch box, terminal box or any, desired articlev of similarcharacter orshape. A.

The structure arbitrarily selected to sufiiciently disclose the illustrated embodiment of the present invention comprises `a wallrincluding studs or joists ltowhich is secured a panel 2 of wall :boardiori similarfinateriai,

in most instanceshard andv brittle. An outlet box 3 ofstandard construction 'is seated in the aperture lprovided-,inthe panellor wall 2 for this purpose and is'secured to the adjacent margins Aoff the wall: by mounting brackets 5, and improved 'means embodying the present invention. The mountingbrackets 5 are customarily providedas standard equipmentv with the outlet box 3 andare securedtheretoinfany desired manner, as indicatedjrbythestud screws 6;

y,Since both ends of the,V box are secured to the wall in identical manner, the secure- Vment vmeansat one ,end only will be described hereiin l v In mounting the box it is ciitdmaryto drillV theswallV so as ,to provide a pair ofspaced apertures therethrough which arersucient ly spacedfrom the edge of the. wall to elimi` nate the ,possibility ofthe wall margin cracking or chipping ofl..` Theibracket 5- on the box 3 is alsoprovided with Vapair of spaced. apertures yand when properly positioned theVK apertures in the bracket will be .directly in alignment with those in the wall. To firmly secure the boxto the wall without the employment loi expansion bolts or similar means, a novel clip isprovided which comprises a body portion 7 for engagement with the opposite face -of thewall, which body portion is provided with a plurality of 'tongues 8, iii-this instance two, bendableso asf to einbrac'ethefedge ofthe wall *and overliethe front surface thereof ,adjacent the bracket V5, whereby the clipis temporarily secured in position. 3 vThe body portion 7 is also provided with arpair of tongues 9 extending l towards the box, andwhich :may or may not abutthe box, .but which in any ,event 'effecvtively provide gaugingfmeans for the quick positioningofthe clip in such a manner that `a pair of aperturesin the body portion 7 thereof willfallin alignment with the aper-V -turesltlirough the wall* and' bracket Th'rough these apertures securing means, in

this instance stud screws l0, are secured, the

"screws engaging both the bracket l5 and wall 2,-and threadedly engaging -the body portion -The spaced apertures in the body portion 7 of the clip y*are preferably punched therein' simultaneously `with the forming iof the clip,

the, time Vofentering th'ereinto may be used, thereby dispensing withthe" previous opera- -tionof tappingtheapertures in the body portion.v

UAfpreferredmethodof mounting "them-outv let, boXAin the lwall ,f2- consists ofiirst providing1 the large aperture -tlife Wally, and

then drilling ,the smaller apertures in the wall margin, after `which theclip Ais mounted in theposition shown by thefull lines iny Figure 6. The tongues 8 of the clipare then bent downwardly `as indicated by the dotted lines in'Figure i fi- A: un;

- The outlet box itself is nexti-nserted.

the aperture 4 with the bracketfaoverlyiiigQ the frontface of the wall Aadjacent lthe eXf tremitiesrofthe tongues 8f.y When the boxf is so positioned.themgauging tongues-9 on the clip willY bein Vsuch close proximity to the box that the clip will, assume a position with the apertures thereinv .inv valignment with# those through the wall and bracket 5", w\here l by the stud screws l() Vmay be easilyinscrted;

andthreaded-lyengagedwith the body por- VA tion'. 7 off the clip.;Y z Obviously no marked skillvor experienceis necessary tosc mount; the .outlet xbox, land the same will be -secured to ,the wall in a firm andpositivef mannerwith no danger of ybreaking or cracking themargin lof the. wall.

F rom the foregoing it s apparent` that have provided novelineans for mountingan outlet boxtoa hard; and brittle wall, l'whichmeans are, exceedingly easy to manipulate, embodying'little labor 'and material, are diiv rable and substantial, and may be economi#- cally` manufactured. f f i amaware that many changes maybe made and' numerous details of construction maybe varied through a wide range 'without departing lfr'om` the .principles of this invention, and 1,'therefore, do knot purpose limiting l the Vpatent `granted h'er'eon y other-v wise than necessitated bythe prior art,

l claim as my invention:

Y ll. Alnc'on'ibi'nation'`, anf outlet box having a` bracket for engagement witlieone face 'ofthe marginofa walladjacent'an aperture therein in which said box seats, and a4 clip v includl ing a substantially flatgportifon for-engagement with-the opposite face-offsaidmargin,

tongues .on said Y portion'bendable around i the Vedge of sardinia-l1', and-securing meanspassi,-t

iso

o .Y 75 stud screws V10 to'eectively tap the same at jinga body portion engageablewith the op-` posite face of said vvall, and tongues on said clip bendable around the edge of said Wall,

ing through said 'Wall andn engaging vboth said bracket' andclip f f `Y 2. In combination, a Wall having an aperl ture therein, an outlet b ox mountable in said aperture, a bracketfonsaid box engageable.

With aiface of said Wall, and a clip includsaid'body portion being apertured to receive securing means connected to Vsaidv bracket engageable Withthe opposite face oitsaidV and passing through' said Wall.

3.'In combination, an outletboxhaving a mounting bracket thereon for lengagement With one race of avvall adjacent an aperture therein, and a clip includinga body portion Wall, means on said 'clip for embracing the edge of ysaid Wall, and securing means connected to said bracket and said clip. v

' 4. In combination, a Wall having a relatively large aperture therein and relatively small' apertures adjacent thereto, an outletk Y apertures. e Y Y l Y 5. In combination, a'vvallhaving an aperbox mountable ,inY said large` aperture, ya

bracket von said box having apertures therein" 4ior alignment' with saidv 'small aperture, a clip having apertures'therein and engageable Withanopposite face of said Wall, means .v Illinois.- s

for gauging the position-of said clip relative to said article. i A l i v 8. As an article of manufa ture, a vclipfinjcluding a substantially-flat plate, atongue extending normal to an edge ofthe plate and vadapted for'bending over the edge of a support, said plate beingia'dapted to receive securing means rpassing through said support and engaging 'an article to be secured to the support, and a tongue extending in the plane` or" saidplate for gauging the position of said clip relative to said article.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto subscribed' my name -at Chicago, Cook County,

JOHN BRNET.

on said clip forembracing the edge of saidy n' Wall, means on said clip extending towards f V,said box for gauging the positionrof said clipY so the apertures therein Will fall in align-Q ment with the small apertures in said Wall, and securing meansy passable through said ture therein,an article equipped with means to engage a face of said Wall, said means hav.-

ing an aperture thereinfalignable Withf the aperture 1n saidvvall, apertured means enf gageable with the oppositeface ofsaidvvall,

feoV

ing said article to'saidwall.

' 6. As an article ofmanufacture, aclip in#v Y cludinga substantially flat plate, and a tongue extending atan angle to one edge of' the plate and adapted for'bending over the edge of a support,` said plate being apertured support, said plate' being adapted to receive securing means passing through said support and engaging an article to be' secured to thel Y support, and meansl connectedto saidV plate means on said lastwmentioned means for gangs V'ing the position'of thel same so the aperture I therein Will be in alignment With the aperture in said Wall, andsecuring means engageable in allor .said apertures for attach- 

